Car heating attachment



A. M K. LARKIN CAR HEATING ATTACHMENT Oct. 24, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 19, 1949 INVENTOR.

R NKH Y L PEN/Al AWW Oct. 24, 1950 A. M K. LARKIN 2,526,334

CAR HEATING ATTACHMENT Filed Nov. 19, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I N V EN TOR.

Patented Oct. 24, 1950 CAR HEATING ATTACHMENT Artemas McKay Larkin, Glendale, Calif., assignor to National Heaters, Inc., Glendale, Calif., a corporation of California Application November 19, 1949, Serial No. 128,469

10 Claims. 1

This invention relates to air circulating and heating devices and it has particular reference to an apparatus of the type referred to which may be removably mounted within such vehicles as automobiles and house trailers or which may be placed within any portion of a building requiring such air conditioning. It is the general object of my invention to provide a simple, compact and inexpensive air circulating and heating device which may be detachably mounted within any part of a vehicle or building in need of such air conditioning by detachably suspending the device from the sill of a car door, the seat back or any convenient support within such vehicle or building space. Another object is to provide a compact air circulating and heating assembly which is mountable within a casing in such simple and efficient manner that the device may be' readily assembled or taken apart by any one without having to resort to complicated operations or the use of special tools.

These and other objects of the invention, as well as the many advantageous features thereof will be better understood from the following detailed description and by referring to the accompanying drawings in which preferred forms of the invention are illustrated.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a casing within which the air conditioning assembly of the invention is shown mounted and from which the top cover has been removed in order better to illustrate the interior mechanism thereof Fig. 2 is a sectional end view of the device" taken substantially on line 2-2 of Fig. l, in the direction of the arrow;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary bottom view of a part of the casing. It is added in order to sho important features thereof, as will be better understood from the following detailed description;

Figs. 4 and 5 illustrate the air propelling element of the device as it appears when removed therefrom;

Fig. 6 is a face view showing a heat element of the device and the manner in which this heating element is mounted on its support; and

Fig. 7 is a sectional, side elevational view of the front end of the device taken substantially through the center thereof.

The device of the invention comprises a boxshaped casing I, the open top of which is closed by a cover 2 in the following manner. From the bottom of the box rise posts 3, 4 the upper ends of which are recessed to receive clamping elements in the shape of screws 5, which latter are extended through tubular bosses 6 downwardly projecting from the inner surface of the cover in axial alignment with the posts 3, 4. While in the drawings, for the sake of simplicity, only one of these bosses 6 is shown, it is to be understood that a second boss is provided in axial alignment with the post 4.

The air circulating means of the device consists of a fan l0 which is mounted within a housing H and is fitted with a boss 12 horizontally extending from the rear surface thereof to support on the end thereof the field magnet l3 of an electric motor, the armature H! of which is suitably connected to rotate the fan l0. Such connection may take the form of bearing bushings 15, I6 of the motor framing within which the motor and fan shaft 11 is rotatably fixed.

Within the lower corners of the casing are rigidly seated grooved brackets 20, 2| into which the rear plate I8 of the fan housing is lowered when the air circulating assembly is placed in position within the casing, correctly to position and to maintain this assembly in place therein. It is to be understood that similar grooved brackets are fitted within the inner corners of the cover 2, as indicated at 23 and 24 of Fig. 2. When the assembly is in such manner seated and when the clamping screws 5 are put in place and tightened, it is found that the cover will remain rigidly in position on the casing so securely to maintain the air conditioning in position that no dislodgrnent or vibration thereof is possible.

.As best indicated in 1, additional corner brackets 25, 26, are placed at the bottom corners of the casing. These brackets are provided in order to support a heat element 26' and this element is shown mounted on a plate 28, which is properly proportioned snugly to fit within the corner brackets 25, 26. By referring to Fig. '7, it is noted that a corner bracket 29 is fitted within the upper corner of the cover 2 and that the lower end of this bracket is slotted to receive therein the upper edge of the support plate 28. For the sake of simplicity only one such bracket isshown, but it is to be understood that a bracket is required in each corner of the cover correctly to guide the support plate of the heating element and to maintain the latter firmly in position.

The motor is operable to rotate the fan l0, thereby to draw air through a series of louvers 30 forming air passages through the front plate 3! of'the casing and this air rises through the space within this front plate to be drawn over the top of the heating element and to pass through an opening 32 in the face of the fan housing and by the fan discharged through an opening 33 at the bottom of the casing, as best shown in Fig. 2.

The electric wiring required for the purpose of the invention may be of any conventional type and is here shown to include wires extending from a cable 48 through a switch 4i and the motor to the heat element. The switch is, as best shown in Figs. 2 and 3, fitted with a handle 43 downwardly extending from the bottom surface of the casing so as to be out of the way and inconspicuous. As best indicated in Fig. 2, the lower corner of the casing is shown downward extending to form a shield 44 for further protection of this switch handle.

The air propelling element It of the device is specially constructed not only to circulate air through the casing for discharge through the bottom opening 33 thereof, but also to draw cooling air through bottom openings 45, 45 of the casing for circulation through the motor assembly and final discharge through the fan openin 33. To this end the fan I9 is, in addition to the conventional blades 43, which are forwardly projected from the back plate 48 thereof, provided with a series of blades 4?, which project in the opposite direction merely far enough to insure a gentle flow of air through the motor assembly.

The heat element in the form illustrated in the drawings includes, as above briefly stated, the

support plate 28, to which the heat element proper, 26, is secured as by means of a series of lips 28', which are extruded from this plate and so bent as to grip the heat element firmly. In addition, it may be found advantageous more rigidly to maintain the element in position on the plate as by the Welding or brazing operation substantially as indicated at While I have found that it is generally sufficient to provide one such heat element, I wish it understood that a second element may be added in order to increase the heat producing capacity of the device and with this element, which may be an exact duplicate of the element 26, would be similarly mounted within the casing by seating the support plate 28 thereof within grooves 54, 55 of corner brackets which may also remain identical with the brackets 25, 25. It is to be understood that in order to support such additional heat element, it is also required to provide corner guide posts within the cover which may be identical with the guide post 29 of Fig. 7. When such two heat elements are provided, or even when only one is used it is also necessary to place a bai'fie plate 55 between the two elements and the casing is for this purpose shown fitted with posts 57, 58, rising from the bottom thereof. Such baffle plate is shown seated in grooves sunk into the top surface of posts 51, 58 and it is guided at the top within corner brackets 59 of the cover. It is to be understood that, for the sake of simplicity, only one of these cover brackets is shown but that there must be a similar bracket at the opposite corner of the cover. With these additional elements in position, it is seen that air drawn through the louvers 30 and rising over the top edge of the heat element support plate 28 will descend through the space between the heat element and the baffle plate 56 to pass under the bottom edge thereof and finally to flow through the inlet opening 32 of the fan housing. Or, when the second heat element is added, over the top thereof and into the blower.

As above stated, the device is primarily intended for attachment to the window sill of an automobile and it is for this purpose, along one upper edge thereof, fitted with an outwardly and downwardly extending lip to form a hook engaging the window framing firmly to maintain the casing in position against the inner surface of the car door. If desired, the adjacent surface of the casing may be fitted with one or more soft rubber buttons 6|, designed to absorb all vibration and rattling and so to maintain the device firmly in suspended position within the car.

I claim:

1. A portable electric heater comprising, a casing having an air inlet through the bottom at the front end thereof and an air outlet at the rear end of the bottom thereof, a cover for said casing, the casing and cover having vertically aligned grooved lugs projecting from the inner surfaces thereof, a fan and motor assembly seatable in the grooves of the aligned lugs of the casing and cover at the rear end thereof, the inlet to said fan being in horizontal alignment with said casing inlet, the discharge of the fan registering with the casin outlet, and means for clamping the cover in position on the casing thereby firmly to lock the fan and motor assembly in position therein.

2. A portable electric heater comprising, a casing having an air inlet at the front end thereof and an air outlet at the bottom thereof, a cover for said casing, the casing and cover having vertically aligned grooved lugs projecting from the inner surfaces thereof, a fan and motor assembly seatable in the grooves of the aligned lugs of the casing and cover at the rear end thereof, the inlet to said fan being in horizontal alignment with said casing inlet, the discharge of the fan registering with the casin outlet, a heat element seatable in aligned lugs intermediate the fan and the casing inlet, and means for clamping the cover in position on the casing thereby firmly to lock the fan and motor assembly and the said heat element in position therein.

3. A portable electric heater comprising, a casing having an air inlet at the front end thereof and an air outlet at the bottom thereof, a cover for said casing, the casing and cover having vertically aligned grooved lugs projecting from the inner surfaces thereof, a fan and motor assembly seatable in the grooves of the aligned lugs of the casing and cover at the rear end thereof, the inlet to said fan being in horizontal alignment with said casing inlet, the discharge of the fan registering with the casing outlet, a heat element seatable in aligned lugs intermediate the fan and the casing inlet, a baflle element seatable in aligned lugs behind said heat element, there being a passage for air from said casing inlet over the top of one of said elements and under the bottom of the other element, and means for clamping the cover in position on the casing thereby firmly to lock the fan and motor assembly the heat element and the said baflle plate in position thereon.

4. A portable electric heater comprising, a casing having an air inlet through the bottom at the front end thereof and an air outlet at the rear end of the bottom thereof, a cover for said casing, the casing and cover having vertically aligned grooved lugs projecting from the inner surfaces thereof, a fan and motor assembly seatable in the grooves of the aligned lugs of the casing and cover at the rear end thereof, the inlet to said fan being in horizontal alignment with said casing inlet, the discharge of the fan registering with the casing outlet, a motor switch having its operating handle projecting through the bottom of the casing, the casing having a guard for the handle of the switch downwardly extending therefrom, and means for clamping the cover in position on the casing thereby firmly to lock the fan and motor assembly in position therein.

5. A portable electric heater comprising, a casing having an air inlet through the bottom at the front end thereof and an air outlet at the rear end of the bottom thereof, a cover for said casing, the casing and cover having vertically aligned grooved lugs projecting from the inner surfaces thereof, a fan seatable in the grooves of the aligned lugs of the casing and cover, the inlet to said fan being in horizontal alignment with the casing inlet, the discharge opening of the fan being in registration with the casing outlet, 3, fan motor on the fan casing rear Wall, and means for clamping the cover in position on the casing thereby firmly to lock the fan and motor in position therein.

6. A portable electric heater comprising, a casing having an air inlet through the oottom at the front end thereof and an air outlet at the rear end of the bottom thereof, a cover for said casing, the casing and cover having vertically aligned grooved lugs projecting from the inner surfaces thereof, a fan seatable in the grooves of the aligned lugs of the casing and cover, the inlet to said fan being in horizontal alignment with the casing inlet, the discharge opening of the fan being in registration with the casing outlet, a fan motor on the fan casing rear wall, a motor switch having its handle projecting through the bottom of the casing, the casing having a guard for said handle downwardly extending from one rear corner thereof, and means for clamping the cover in position on the casing thereby firmly to lock the fan and motor in position therein.

7. A portable electric heater comprising, a casing having an air inlet at the front end thereof and an air outlet at the bottom thereof, a cover for said casing, the casing and cover having vertically aligned grooved lugs projecting from the inner surfaces thereof, a fan and motor assembly seatable in the grooves of the aligned lugs of the casing and cover at the rear end thereof, the inlet to said fan being in horizontal alignment with said casing inlet, the discharge of the fan registering with the casing outlet, a heat element seatable in aligned lugs intermediate the fan and the casing inlet, a circuit from a source of energy through said motor and heat element, a switch out into said circuit, and. means for clamping the cover in position on the casing thereby firmly to lock the fan and motor assembly and the said heat element in position therein.

8. A portable electric heater comprising, a casing having an air inlet at the front end thereof and an air outlet at the bottom thereof, a cover for. said casing, the casing and cover having vertically aligned grooved lugs projecting from the inner surfaces thereof, a fan and motor assembly seatable in the grooves of the aligned lugs of the casing and cover at the rear end thereof, the inlet to said fan being in horizontal alignment with said casing inlet, the discharge of the fan registering with the casing outlet, a

heat element seatable in aligned lugs intermediate the fan and the casing inlet, a circuit from a source of energy through said motor and heat element, a switch out into said circuit, the switch having a handle projecting through the casing, a guard for said switch on the outside of the casing, and means for clamping the cover in position on the casing thereby firmly to lock the fan and motor assembly and the said heat element in position therein.

9. A portable electric heater comprising, a casing having an air inlet at the front end thereof and an air outlet at the bottom thereof, a cover for said casing, the casing and cover having vertically aligned grooved lugs projecting from the inner surfaces thereof, a fan and motor as sembly seatable in the grooves of the aligned lugs of the casing and cover at the rear end thereof, the inlet to said fan being in horizontal alignment with said casing inlet, the discharge of the fan registering with the casing outlet, a heat element seatable in aligned lugs intermediate the fan and the casing inlet, a bafile element seatable in aligned lugs between the fan and the said heat element, there being a passage for air from said casing inlet over the top of one of said elements and under the bottom of the other element, a circuit from a source of energy through said motor and heat element, a switch cut into said circuit, and means for clamping the cover in position on the casing thereby firmly to lock the fan and motor assembly the baffle element and the said heat element in position therein.

10. A portable electric heater comprising, a casing having an air inlet at the front end thereof and an air outlet at the bottom thereof, a cover for said casing, the casing and cover having vertically aligned grooved lugs projecting from the inner surfaces thereof, a fan and motor assembly seatable in the grooves of the aligned lugs of the casing and cover at the rear end thereof, the inlet to said fan being in horizontal alignment with said casing inlet, the discharge of the fan registering with the casing outlet, a heat element seatable in aligned lugs interme diate the fan and the casing inlet, a baflie element seatable in aligned lugs between the fan and the said heat element, there being a passage for air from said casing inlet over the top of one of said elements and under the bottom of the other element, a circuit from a source of energy through said motor and heat element, a switch cut into said circuit, said switch having a handle projecting through the wall of the casing, a guard on the casing for said handle, and means for clamping the cover in position on the casing thereby firmly to lock the fan and motor assembly the baflle element and the said heat element in position therein.

ARTEMAS McKAY LARKIN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,027,605 McCord et al Jan. 14, 1936 2,085,772 Soverhill July 6, 1937 2,466,237 I-Ieiman Apr. 5, 1949 

